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Updated: Aug 30, 2025

A Simple and Scalable Fabrication Method for Organic Electronic Devices on Textiles
Published on: March 13, 2017
Smart E-Textiles: Overview of Components and Outlook
Rebecca R Ruckdashel1, Ninad Khadse1, Jay Hoon Park1
1Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
Abstract:
Smart textiles have gained great interest from academia and industries alike, spanning interdisciplinary efforts from materials science, electrical engineering, art, design, and computer science. While recent innovation has been promising, unmet needs between the commercial and academic sectors are pronounced in this field, especially for electronic-based textiles, or e-textiles. In this review, we aim to address the gap by (i) holistically investigating e-textiles' constituents and their evolution, (ii) identifying the needs and roles of each discipline and sector, and (iii) addressing the gaps between them. The components of e-textiles-base fabrics, interconnects, sensors, actuators, computers, and power storage/generation-can be made at multiscale levels of textile, e.g., fiber, yarn, fabric, coatings, and embellishments. The applications, current state, and sustainable future directions for e-textile fields are discussed, which encompasses health monitoring, soft robotics, education, and fashion applications.
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